There are small moments of reflection that pop up in any given day that can affect how we approach our practice of medicine. Something at home affecting us at work, or vice versa. Like a Venn diagram, the two circles overlapping by just that slight amount at the center. One such recent intersection for me…
Comments closedWhen I first turned to writing as a method to cope with the stresses of my practice, I had no knowledge of the field of narrative medicine. In fact, I had been through 4 years of medical school, 3 years of residency, 3 years of subspecialty fellowship, and over a decade in the practice of…
Comments closedupdate 9/30/2019 – Honorable mention, Online/Print Article, Writer’s Digest 88th Annual Writing Competition! I recently came across an eye-opening passage on gender bias by the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The excerpt from her book is as follows: Theresa May is the British prime minister and here is how a progressive British newspaper described her husband:…
2 CommentsAn oncologist colleague once said to me at a funeral, “People assume that as oncologists, we understand more about death than other people. But we really don’t.” He then faced a church filled with mourners and delivered a heartrending eulogy. I’ve thought of his words often since. Every time I counsel a patient and family…
Comments closedHello Readers. This week I am pleased to share a link to my latest narrative essay that I am privileged to have published in JAMA, in their popular “A Piece of My Mind” series. Entitled Making Room, it is a very personal piece for me, in which I have tried to write about doctor work life balance,…
Comments closed(warning: minor movie spoiler alert) As a working mom physician with a husband who is a stay at home dad, I was intrigued by the opening premise of the movie The Incredibles 2. Helen (Elastigirl) is tapped to return to work as a Superhero over her husband, Bob (Mr. Incredible). I looked forward to seeing…
Comments closedDid any of you other physician working moms out there get the dreaded made-at-school mother’s day card this year? You know, the one your kid makes in class, where they trace a flower (or some variation), and on each petal writes a word to describe you, their cherished mother? Why does the sight of this…
Comments closed“My mom is a doctor, my dad is a dad.” So stated one of our children in their autobiography assignment for school. I read on, curious what would come next. “My dad usually stays home and cleans up, and takes care of the pets.” I thought for a moment. “That’s very good, honey, but do…
Comments closedThe Art of Oncology I am pleased to share the link to my newest published narrative essay, entitled The Puzzle Table, published online 10/2/17 in the Art of Oncology section of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Update March 2018: Now listen to the podcast on the JCO Art of Oncology Cancer Stories page. find links…
Comments closedRecently, I was enjoying a “mom day” running errands with the kids. You know, the usual essentials — groceries, school supplies, and espresso coffee drive-through. At this last stop, the barista made small talk and, seeing the kids in the back seat, joked about school starting soon and how I must be looking forward to…
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